Eight Deaths Reported in Eaton Fire as Containment Hovers at 15%

The death toll for the Eaton Fire in the Altadena and Pasadena area grew to eight people Saturday, while containment of the wildfire as of earlier today grew to 15%.

No further information was immediately available about the deaths. The LASD said family assistance centers were available for people looking for missing loved ones. The American Red Cross operates one such center at the Pasadena Convention Center

The fire has scarred 14,117 acres. Authorities said more than 7,000 structures have been destroyed or damaged, many of them homes. Those numbers were expected to rise after further evaluation, and nearly 40,000 structures were said to be threatened.

Santa Ana wind conditions diminished slightly in many areas overnight, helping firefighters, but winds were expected to pick up again later Saturday into Sunday with gusts around 30 mph, then a stronger offshore wind event likely between Monday night and Wednesday with general gusts of 40 to 60 mph.

“The fire remained active overnight and is burning in an area with steep inaccessible terrain and critically dry vegetation,” fire officials said. “There is still a substantial amount of fire line to construct, including around communities. Minimal growth was observed, and resources continued to construct and improve fire line, as well as address public calls for service.

“Evacuation orders remain in place for the affected cities due to continued fire activity, numerous downed trees, downed power lines, gas leaks and power outages.”

An evacuation center was set up at the Pasadena Convention Center at 300 E. Green St. The Humane Society is on-site to accept small pets for boarding.

Small animals were also being accepted at Baldwin Park Animal Care Center at 4275 Elton St., while large animals were accepted at Industry Hills Expo Center at 16200 Temple in the city of Industry.

A curfew was in effect nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the mandatory evacuation areas, with only firefighters, law enforcement and utility workers allowed in those zones. Authorities said Saturday afternoon that 19 arrests have been made in the Eaton Fire, four for curfew violations.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna had promised Friday that anyone caught looting in the fire zones would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday announced that he has doubled the number of California National Guard personnel activated to help maintain order in the fire areas to 1,680 members.

Officials continued to warn people of highly unhealthy air quality in the region, and said drinking water in evacuation zones is not safe to drink.

National Weather Service forecasters had said there would be a “significant drop off” in wind velocity through Saturday.

“This gives the area about an 18-hour reprieve in the winds through late morning Saturday before the next burst of offshore flow and wind begins … into Sunday morning,” according to the NWS.

That weekend wind event “seems generally focused on the San Gabriel Mountains but probably at least some advisory-level winds down into some of the valleys and Santa Monica Mountains.”

The NWS issued a high wind watch that will be in effect for the San Gabriel Mountains, western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area and the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway that will be in effect Saturday night through Sunday afternoon. Those areas could see winds ranging from 30 to 50 mph, potentially gusting up to 60 mph.

But more powerful winds are anticipated to hit the region early next week.

“Right now it looks like Tuesday will be the strongest day,” forecasters said. “Unlike this week’s very dangerous event, which was more of a northerly wind event, this one is very likely to be a traditional (northeast) Santa Ana event. Still, the low humidities and the winds will combine to bring enhanced fire danger to the area.”

Some 2,832 personnel were assigned to the firefighting effort.

The Eaton Fire was reported at about 6:20 p.m. Tuesday in the area of Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive in the hills above Altadena amid hurricane- force Santa Ana winds, according to Cal Fire. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

Among the structures destroyed in the fire was the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center. The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation reported that the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, Farnsworth Park’s Davies Community Center, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Altadena Golf Course Club House and adjacent buildings were destroyed.

Also destroyed in the blaze was The Bunny Museum in Altadena.

The entire Angeles National Forest was closed for public safety and the protection of natural resources through at least Jan. 15.

The U.S. Forest Service, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Pasadena Fire Department, Arcadia Fire Department, Sierra Madre Fire Department, Pasadena Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were working under a unified command.

As a result of the fire, the Glendale, Pasadena and Burbank unified school districts, along with the Alhambra, South Pasadena, San Marino, La Cañada, Arcadia and Monrovia districts canceled classes for the week, as did Pasadena City College.

A few miles to the east, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia canceled racing this weekend due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles County. Morning training will continue as scheduled both days and Santa Anita will remain open for simulcast wagering.

Track officials say their property was being used to support several relief efforts, including the large charity drop-off that was set up at the Rose Bowl and relocated to Santa Anita Park’s south parking lot Friday afternoon. Southern California Edison is using the entire north parking lot as its base camp to restore power to those in the affected areas and Santa Anita Park is working with additional response organizations requesting space.

County Supervisor Kathryn Barger on Saturday joined Newsom in inviting President-elect Donald Trump to visit the Southern California area and assess the damage from the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire, which has claimed at least five lives.

“In my role as Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the people of Los Angeles County extend our formal invitation for you to come again to Los Angeles County and jointly tour the areas of devastation caused by this week’s disasters,” Barger wrote in a letter to Trump. “By accepting this invitation, Mr. President-Elect, you will join us in supporting our citizenry and thanking our heroic first responders, who have risked their own lives to save others. We would also ask you, as our President, to stand with the people of Los Angeles County as we set our course to rebuild. Your presence would be deeply felt and appreciated.”

At a briefing later Saturday from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Barger said she met with California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, in the fire zone in Altadena, stressing the need to remove red tape amid the daunting rebuilding process.

“I told the speaker that the state has to be incredibly flexible in and streamline all of their processes, and he has promised to work with us,” she said. “… There are state and county requirements that can sometimes add an additional cost to the building process. My ask is that the state and the county work to ensure that we rebuild safely, but we must remove any new costly requirements not related to health and safety that would otherwise make it cost-prohibitive for residents to rebuild.”

Barger also said she planned to ensure that the county provides one- stop service centers where affected residents can have all relevant questions answered.